Dame una noche Give me one night
by dragonmastergurl
Summary: Eric wishes for just one night with Calleigh that he doesn't have to worry about the job or threats. Is it possible to have any happiness or does even one night have too many consequences for him to handle? T Rating will be mitigated with cliffhangers. Chapter Eleven is now up. Enjoy. Will be doing an alternate ending scenario. You will thank me.
1. Chapter 1

Dame Una Noche (Give me One Night)

A/N: So, I was hearing a song when I was at work and I came up with an idea. The song is called 'Give me Just One Night (Una Noche)' by 98 Degrees. So the idea is: Eric wishes for just one night with Calleigh that he doesn't have to worry about the job or threats. Is it possible to have any happiness or does even one night have too many consequences for him to handle?

Warnings: Hm, I'll leave this empty for now, no spoilage for you all, each chapter will have a warning when it happens, is that okay?

Pairing: Eric and Calleigh (mainly one-sided but one night only two-sided)

Timeline: After Eric quit the Crime Lab.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI Miami or the song that inspired this tale.

Chapter One: Todo lo que Quiero (All that I want)

"_All I've ever wanted, all I've ever dreamed of was having Calleigh as my woman, as my wife. But she, she deserves so much more than me, than I could ever give her, than I can ever wish to be. But how can I ever pray for her to be mine? Maria knows that I've been blessed in life, after all I nearly died twice- someone's gotta be looking out for me. But everyone that's ever been in any kind of a relationship with me has suffered in my stead. Marisol, H, even Calleigh- each have had to lose something because of me, with Mari it was her life, with H it was Mari, and with Calleigh it was part of her sanity I'm sure and nearly her life ... I won't let that happen to her again, I can't. I'm not that egotistical to think that I deserve even one day with the Angel that is Calleigh. No matter how much I may want it..."_ Eric sighed slightly as he stared at a picture, his brown eyes studying emerald, staring into the instant snapshot of Calleigh. He thought about those eyes, how beautiful they are. _"When she's happy, it's like staring into an emerald mine, polished and perfect- beautiful and rare. When she's upset or working on a case those eyes become like steel, sharp and precise yet still beautiful. Then there's her voice, as if a harp's song with the slightest twang of something more- something you are blessed to be able to hear even once. But I, oh I, was blessed and cursed to hear it every day and take it for granted, the way she spoke, the way she graced the room, the way her eyes looked, everything I can never have again. Oh how I wish, dream, plead, even pray that I could just for a day, hell- even just an evening, that's all I'd want, I'd die happy knowing that for one night I'd loved her like I know she deserves. No worries, no threats, no job or H to interrupt..."_ As he thought this his phone rang, he reached for it and recognized the number and sighed the name of who it belonged to "H, speak of the man..." He answered his phone with a push of the button and sighed "what's going on H."

"I was wondering the same thing Eric. Calleigh said you quit, why didn't you tell me first, we could have worked things out." The voice rang over the receiver, familiar and clear as Horatio spoke.

"I just didn't have the heart before I talked to Calleigh, I knew she'd understand me a bit more than you may realize, H, but I guess I should have let you know first as courtesy." Eric replied as he put a hand to his cheek, holding his head on his wrist's muscles.

"I also heard a few other things from Calleigh but those were more personal items that I think she was just venting. Your position's still open if you want it..." Horatio's voice came again, this time more of an understanding tone of a man that had loved and lost as well.

"Thanks, H, but I don't want it. It wouldn't feel right, not anymore. I just want some time to think things over. Tell the team I said hello though, okay?" Eric said before frowning, thinking of the team and what his place in it once was. "And let Calleigh know that I still think of her as a friend." He lied with a straight face, having done it so many times in the last few days when it came to Calleigh and the Crime Lab. Nothing felt the same anymore; he wasn't the man he once was. Emotions were constantly shifting in his mind and it felt like a torrent waiting to make its first break.

"Will do and Eric- take care" Came Horatio's voice before a click of a phone hanging up ended the conversation.

"_Take care he says, not 'good luck' not 'best wishes for the rest of your life' but 'take care.' Classic H, always finding a way to make me feel as if I'm doing the right thing even when I'm not so sure myself. I guess that's one of his best qualities."_ Eric sighed again as he looked at the paper, a day or two old but still holding interest, his picture on the page along with the story of his leaving the Crime Lab and a bit of his history. Well, as much as Horatio had allowed seeing as a media circus was against the flow of Horatio's regime. _"I guess they will be fine without me. After all, they solved crimes while I was in the hospital- didn't they? But I just hope Calleigh will be happy... That's what I know she deserves- to be happy with a man that can give her everything she ever wanted."_ He looked out his window at the night's sky, a star twinkling above his head and streaming across the horizon. _"I guess if I could have one wish, I'd wish for one night, just one night, to spend with Calleigh, to show her that I still care... That she still matters to me, that I still… Love her. Even though I had to give her up I still love her with all of my heart and soul, God knows. I pray to him that she will be happy, even if I can't be. I'll give her that because I love her, because she deserves it, and because she's Calleigh. All the things I ever want are in her and all I want is one night…"_ He put away his phone and rubbed his eyes slightly _"But I know that wishes never turn out how you think they should. Even if they did there's no such thing as a free lunch, everything's got a price... Or so it seems in my life. Even blessings come at a price, God knows… I suppose I am just atoning for my sins."_

End of Chapter One. Ending A/N: Read and review please. I originally planned this as a one-shot one-sided pairing but after much discussion with myself and much debate I decided to lengthen it to include an entire plot, including twists that no amount of begging will reveal until that chapter comes out. And I'm planning to have each chapter be a Spanish title with an English Translate because I think it works for Eric. Next chapter: Calleigh thinks about Eric and their 'relationship' and her opinion on it. I just hope I can get this done because my plot bunnies are growing restless. Oh, and expect the next chapter next year unless I get time under some miraculous pretense of existence.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I finally got back to writing this because work got complicated and I am working more days than I expected to. I also took a while figuring out what to title this chapter seeing as I want Calleigh to think about Eric. Not so much as a romantic side for this chapter though, sorry. Also, this story is going to be a bit… Well, strange at the end. You see, with me making it T-rated I have to cut some things I've planned down to Cliffhangers. I'm sorry in advance but those won't come up for another 6 chapters at the very least. Also, this chapter is longer than the first, I think- if only slightly.

Warnings: OOC perhaps, violence, blood, bullets, the whole nine yards. What, it is a CSI Miami fanfic, you want ponies and fluff? Too bad!

Disclaimer: I… Do… Not… OWN!

Chapter Two: De las Complicaciones de Amistad (Of Friendship's Complications)

Calleigh looked through the microscope to the bullet below. Even with the absence of Eric and the uncertainty his leaving brought life in the Crime Lab went on uninterrupted. Before the revelation that Eric thought of Calleigh in a sense of wanting to settle down with her Calleigh had not thought of Eric of anything more than a friend. But even friendship was complicated, especially for the ballistics mistress. She'd never really needed friends seeing as she found more comfort from facts and data then the friendship of another. But Eric, he made all that cease. Her self-induced loneliness seemed to melt away, the stone walls she'd cased herself in crumbled. But now, they were more present than ever as she stared at the blood coated piece of metal on the microscope. The groves were imperfect due to the bullet having hit bone on its way into the body of a victim but they were good enough to run through any decent database. The thing was figuring out what kind of gun produced this striation first then run a search. Or at least that was how she did it, how she always seemed to do it. She blew her bangs out of her face, whatever strings of hair had fallen out of the pony tail she wore as soft footsteps entered the lab. "Calleigh… What do you have?" Came a male voice as the footsteps stopped directly behind her.

"Horatio… It's what I don't have that should be the question because these striations are pretty common." She answered before raising her head off the sight of the microscope and turning to face Horatio.

"Mm… Sometimes you have to look at it in another way." Horatio said slyly, more hidden than she'd expected. "Sometimes things aren't what we hope they'd be. Or expect them to be."

"You aren't talking about the bullet anymore Horatio… Are you? I already told you…" The look on his face stopped her in mid-sentence "I never considered him anything more than a really good friend." If it had been a suspect the next words out of Horatio's mouth may have been similar to 'you're lying' or 'tell me the truth' but no such admonishment came.

"Is that what you truly believe?" Horatio said in a tone that sounded like a father more than a boss or superior. He could always take himself out of certain tones and place others so easily, it was like five or six different personalities could easily exist in one sentence. "Or is that what you want to tell yourself because it's easier not to hurt?"

"Easier, no… But perhaps I am telling myself a lot lately. Like he'll be back again when he's ready, that he didn't say what he did, et cetera. But facts are…" Calleigh stopped again and lowered her gaze to his chest, trying to hide the changing shade due to whatever emotion was hitting her. "Facts are unchanging. He doesn't want to come back and he doesn't want to endanger any of his friends' lives and that I understand. If I were…" She paused, she didn't know what she'd do if she were in his shoes because she didn't know the full truth, the struggle of mind over heart that the man had just prior to essentially breaking up with her. "If I were in his position I would probably have done the same thing."

"But you don't know what his position was. It was something that he had to force himself to do. His heart was…" The rest of the sentence stung worse than a cut or wound ever could "breaking into pieces just thinking about ever losing what he wanted with you, whatever that was. He wanted you to be something that could never be." Horatio said this softly, shaking his head. He'd wanted much more from something as well but that ended tragically enough for him to have doubts about any relationship in which his team was involved, even Eric who was as a brother to him, well a brother-in-law for the day of perfection that he found. But with all things that came to an abrupt end. "I don't blame you for feeling a bit betrayed and hurt but things are not always as straight forward as facts."

"Life never is…" Calleigh finished, watching Horatio nod before he took his leave again. "Life never is simple… It's complicated. And relationships are more complicated because of emotions." She turned back to the project she had left when Horatio had entered, something else striking her interest. The small differences were piecing themselves together and this bullet was now clearer to her. Walking away always helped, even for a few brief moments. But walking away from someone was different than walking away from a project or a case. _"Why did he do what he did? Why did he have to make me feel like we could make it work? What have I done to deserve this breaking feeling?"_ Silence was never pleasant company especially when thoughts seemed to echo into nothingness. She sighed heavily as thoughts bounced off of one another, becoming warped and muddled but retaining their meaning through it all. _"Why do things have to be so complicated when it comes from Eric Delco? Even his little smiles hold so many second meanings that even seeing underneath the underneath leaves you wondering. I guess that's why I always liked him as a friend because he wasn't what he appeared and neither am I…" _With this thought in mind she put the data she'd gathered on the bullet through the database and waited for the match to pop up. In the mean time, there was always silence…

Secondary A/N: Not what I planned but it is still good. Next chapter: A case brings Calleigh and Eric closer to reuniting but can they handle it or is fate still trying to push them farther apart?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: After another month of not updating because of work and such I am back with a longer update! You may now begin with the love! Or not...

Warnings: Violence, gunfire, gunshots, blood, fear, paranoia, all that good stuff.

Disclaimer: I still don't own squat people other than my laptop...

Secondary A/N: I am not entirely sure about the accuracy of this title, it feels wrong...

Chapter Three: Disparos a Medianoche (Gunshots at Midnight)

It was late, as well as the moon's position well above the window pane of Eric's home indicated. He looked at the clock, 11:50 it blinked back to him teasingly, admonishing his insomnia. Not a night has passed since he had left CSI and Calleigh that he'd gotten a decent night's sleep and tonight was no exception to the week-and-a-half's rule. He stared at the television that the clock was just above and reached for the remote and pressed the 'power' button. The TV flickered to its 'on' state for a moment before Eric scoffed at the show, or rather infomercial, that now plagued his screen. He pressed the channel button once to reveal some boring reality show about some island. He pressed the button again after half a minute and revealed another show, this time a cooking show. He gagged slightly as the ingredients were listed. Gross, truly, how much detail someone could go into just to cook a simple dish. He pressed the guide button and then the down button to flick through channels quicker. Finding nothing of particular interest he grumbled something similar to 'over a hundred channels and nothing on' and pressed the power button again, finding comfort in the dark silence of the box.

He stared at the clock again, 11:52. Great, another ticking minute to remind him that he now had all the time in the world but still couldn't have what he wanted. He swallowed somewhat, only to find his mouth dry. He forced himself off the couch and trudged into the 'kitchen' or rather the area that he stored his glassware and a few small things as he rarely cooked for one. He grumbled again and turned on the cold tap water, letting it run for a few seconds before grabbing a glass and placing it under the trickling liquid. He took a sip to test the temperature. Finding it adequate he took a rather large second drink, finishing the glass in the third. He wiped his chin of any water that had escaped and put his glass in the sink. He trudged back to the living room, or rather where his couch was, and stared at the clock again.

11:54, it mocked him. The end of the physical day was fast approaching but not fast enough for his tastes. He just wanted another day to pass to prove that time healed all wounds, even those caused by oneself. He sighed again and began to pace, if only slightly, between the kitchen and the living room. It comforted him, if only a bit, to hear the sounds of his own footsteps against carpet, then wood, then carpet again. That and it killed time that he seemed to have too much of on his hands, if you will excuse the pun. He looked at his hands on what seemed to be his fifth, or possibly seventh, round of pacing, trying to piece together the meaning of his lonely existence. Yep, way too much time on his hands.

He stared at the infernal time again, this time it read 11:58. Another two minutes and a new day would be greeting him, if only in a literal sense. The new day didn't dawn, officially, for another at least six hours. He growled slightly and went back to the kitchen and filled his glass again with cold water. He took it with him on his return trip, only to have an all to familiar sound greet his eardrums...

A single bang. All of his life always seemed to change with that one sound, that one _hated_ and familiar sound. He found that it was followed by him quickly dropping the glass, the object shattering all over the floor. He found shortly after that he was inspecting his person for blood. Finding it absent he regained his senses and stepped over the broken glass and toward his living room to look for any other broken glass. Finding it absent after a second and third glance he raced to the door and opened it, his former cop instincts coming into full fruition. He looked up and down his block to see the street lights dim against the darkness but it was enough. The familiar sight of crimson on the ground made him reach for his cell phone. Too bad he'd forgotten it inside. Damn, not his night. He grumbled again and walked toward the scene, to see if anything could be done. A single wound to his next door neighbor greeted him and he shook his head. Something was definitely off about this whole mess, other than the fact that someone he didn't know was dead right in front of him.

He jogged, well more like half-jogged, back to his house and grabbed his cell phone off the table he'd left it on. He pushed a few buttons to see another familiar thing, this time the name of Horatio and a number. He pressed another button and the phone rang. He heard a sleepy "Hello" come from his former 'boss'

"H, it's Eric, there's been a shooting... Right next door to me." He said as calmly as possible, trying to hide the fact that a minute before he'd dropped his glass.

"Mm?" Horatio said in a strange tone, as if expecting more out of Eric then just a short bit.

"The man, that is my neighbor, is dead H. I don't know what kind of gun it was but I heard it right about..." He looked at the clock, 12:03. He figured it had taken him a minute to compose himself, another minute to figure out where the shot had come from and track it to his neighbor, and another to jog home and grab his cell. "About three minutes ago, midnight."

"I see, we'll be there shortly..." Horatio's voice answered quickly.

"We?"

"Certainly. This _is_ a ballistics case, after all. If there is any casings..."

"Calleigh..." Eric interrupted, more like sighed. He'd see his angel again, if only for a moment.

"Yes, Calleigh..." Horatio said in a 'that is so obvious' tone that almost spooked Eric. Of course anyone that knew Horatio would know that he was once again shocked at Eric's demeanor. Weird night indeed.

Eric nodded silently before sighing "I guess I'll have to answer questions, right?"

"Mmhmm... Feels weird being a witness doesn't it?" Horatio said in a serious tone, returning to the discussion.

"That's the thing, I didn't _see _anything, I just heard it." Eric said in a professional tone, finally getting the rest of his senses to catch of with the fight or flight instinct of just a few minutes prior. "I don't think I'll be of any help."

"I suppose not..." Horatio said slyly before a pair of beeps interrupted him. "I've got another call, Eric, probably another witness to what you just told me..." He switched lines, essentially ending the conversation with Eric.

"That's more than likely the case..." Eric said slightly as he mulled things over. He sat in the silence for another few minutes before sirens interrupted his serene moment. He went back outside if only to observe Calleigh, his angel, his solace.

Calleigh arrived on the scene looking like she'd been woken up from a sound sleep but none the less ready. She noticed a single casing and bagged it before moving to the body. The wound was a through-and-through, definitely a fatal shot instantly. She saw a shining metal toward the stoop, or doorstep, of the home and followed it. She picked up the piece and noticed it was a severely damaged bullet, probably so done through the passage through the body of the victim. She bagged this as well before having the feeling she was being watched. She followed the feeling to the one watching her and recognized the stature. "Eric?"

Eric heard his name on the wind, Calleigh had spoken it. "Calleigh" He called back before she nodded at him and returned to her work. There was always work in their way...

Tertiary A/N: I promised exposition and I deliver. A much longer (comparatively speaking) chapter than I am used to writing. Please forgive the shorter ones as this is still in its infancy as a plot. However I do plan to have Eric ask Calleigh to hang out with him shortly, just not next chapter. Next Chapter: Calleigh and Eric reflect on chance.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I am so very sorry for my rather lengthy hiatus for which I have no true explanation other than I lost the muse that inspired this story so greatly. I have a vision of how I want it to 'end' but the in-between parts are the difficult issues. That and my schedule got a bit hectic lately. Forgive me? Also, succubi are female half-demons that tempt humans into lusting / adultery. Also, I'm going to use a bit of a muse for another story in this one. Eric has a journal in this chapter and probably the next.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Warnings: Other than a bit of OOC, perhaps, not really much this chapter to look out for. Also, translation is a bit off- I think- or a 'rough' translation.

Chapter Four: Como la Oportunidad lo Tendría. ( 'As Chance would have it')

Eric tried to get to sleep but he kept hearing that sound; that haunting, echoing, and maddening sound; over and over again. It woke him from even the lightest of half-sleep he forced himself to drift into with a start, panting and searching the area frantically for the source of the noise, only to realize it was his own mind creating it. He rolled over to look at his cell-phone, his only connection to the 'team' he was once so proud to be a part of and now was so far away from because of chance. Or rather probability. He thought that if Calleigh were involved with him she'd end up hurt, or even killed, by his own personal demons that he thought he'd left well enough behind. And yet there she was, his sanctuary and yet his bane, his angel and his succubus, all the things he desired and yet could never grasp- all at once. He sighed heavily and stared hatefully at the clock that told him that there were still a few hours until the sun rose to the horizon, much less when most 'normal' people were awake. But he and Calleigh, probably even Horatio himself, had spent several sleepless night-mornings trying to solve a near-impossible case or find that one shred of evidence in a huge quandary of mess that would put them behind bars. They were used to late nights, early mornings, working weekends on demand, even Sundays- the Sabbath itself- were not 'sacred' to ones such as the CSI team. They never closed, they never slept, it was like this since the first recorded murder trial that used forensics to prove the case and probably would be as long as there was murder itself. And people killed other people for a myriad of stupid 'motives'. Money, jealousy, hatred, anger, love, lust, desire, greed, and even just going crazy in a fit of momentary onslaught- they'd seen every 'reason' in the book, even ones that made no sense whatsoever. They could probably count on one hand the 'valid' reasons and even those were never straight forward. Self Defense, the hardest to prove and easiest to claim, was the top double standard that they'd seen. It was so strange- at first- that what the evidence said and what the suspect said were usually two completely different stories. But over time the evidence was the only thing they trusted, truly, other than one another. It was like having a second family. That was another reason it was so hard to leave. He saw Horatio as more than a boss- he saw him as a brother even before Marisol. Then there was Ryan, a close friend that always had his back. It was something he'd never have again, he figured. He grabbed a small journal-like book from the bed-side table and turned on the lamp. _"Today, I saw Calleigh again. There was a shooting a house down from me and she, as chance would have it, was the one sent to gather the evidence. I pray that one day that we can see each other again, not as colleagues or even as a witness and an investigator, but as a true date. But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride..."_ He wrote a small entry, it seemed to help lately more than it did before. It was his therapist's idea to write down his thoughts, especially about the job or Calleigh. At first he thought the idea was foolish but here recently he almost relished the idea of writing his inner-most thoughts just for his own sanity.

Meanwhile, Calleigh was staring down the business-end of a microscope, trying to shake off the exhaustion that threatened her senses. The striations were starting to blur together and the more she tried to focus the worse it became. She sighed and raised her head a bit off the eye-piece, rubbing her eyes slightly with the back of her gloved hand. As she did this she thought about chances. Or rather 'what-ifs'. _"What would I have done if it was Eric instead?_" She thought as she tried to figure this out, the vision coming surprisingly easily to her mind. After all, she'd seen it before many times- both in nightmares and in reality. She nearly lost it when Eric was shot and she would rather not that occur again. Eric was a good friend, a teammate. But something in her wanted him to be more. Maybe it was the 'confession' that she'd read in his files with his previous therapist, the one that was killed some time ago. She shook her head and sighed, she'd thought about it off and on for some time, not really giving it a serious chance to be analyzed until recently. She never imagined that Eric felt anything for her other than camaraderie or physical attraction. She didn't ever think that he gave her any serious thought outside of his desires as a man for an attractive and intelligent woman. She wasn't sure, before, that she was even his 'type'. Not that Eric had a 'type' but she figured he would want a woman of similar heritage to himself to share his life with, not someone that barely knew of the Cuban Culture- which was what she considered her own knowledge-base to be. But he wanted her, for whatever reason, and he was serious about it. So much so that he 'gave her up' to protect her from his enemies and those that would use his love of her against him. _"What if we hadn't broken up? What if I... Really gave him a shot? If we were married... No, that's crazy-talk. Tired, exhausted crazy-talk."_ She thought silently as she rubbed her eyes again in an attempt to stave off the on-coming yawn which came in spite of her trying to keep it from escaping from her lips. She looked into the eye-piece again only to the striations blurred even further by her tired eyes. It didn't harm any to come back to this later, did it? Well, technically yes but it did her no good to stare at it all night, or rather the rest of the night judging by her watch which read '4:00'. She had spent many nights like this but it always drained her greatly because of her natural 'early morning riser' metabolism. Even though she was more used to it than most it still made her lethargic and sluggish, especially when it got past 1:00 in the morning, which it was now well past. Now it was impeding her sight and judgment. She kept a small cot in the lab for nights like this so she broke it out and tried to get a few minutes rest before her natural clock woke her again around 5:30. An hour and a half was not much time at all but it was better than nothing. _"I kind of wish I could see him again. Just to spend some time just talking. If it weren't for the job and his insistence I would call him. Even so, what would we even do? I mean we know practically everything about each-other. What would we have left to talk about?"_ She thought as she closed her eyes to drift into a half-sleep, one that only provided with the resting properties and not the dreams she was so afraid of having come to pass. She didn't want her reality to be a living nightmare filled with blood and pain...

Secondary A/N: This one's a lot shorter than the others have been by page length but there was no speech so it is all block-text (which I personally hate). I'm sorry for making it so long paragraph wise.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Once again, I delayed because of work. Sorry again. Ah well, I will try to get a good chapter in to make up for it.

Warning: Mm, OOC, Violence recounting, and short court questioning that seems incomplete and off to me and I'm the one that wrote it. Also, I cannot- for the life of me- spell Calleigh's last name. Sorry.

Chapter 5: Como se Hacen Preguntas ('As Questions are Asked')

~A few days later~

Eric sighed heavily as he got dressed in his 'court clothes', which consisted basically of nice slacks, a button up shirt, and a tie. His mind was racing, only a few questions could be asked of him based on what he had seen, or rather hadn't seen that night. It was more like he had heard and his instinct just ran on high-octane. He couldn't help it; all in all he was a cop. There was no such thing as an ex-cop. Former perhaps but never an ex- it didn't seem possible to leave that life behind, even for the sake of protecting those closest to him. Those that he loved so much he'd even give his own life for theirs a thousand times over. He wouldn't ever admit how much he truly loved Calleigh, he couldn't to her. Perhaps that was why leaving her was so hard, and yet so needed. If anyone were to use his most kept and precious secret… He didn't even want to think about it at the moment, ever really. He wouldn't ever desire that kind of thing to happen to anyone. "I have to mentally prepare for any question. I want to be ready for anything they throw my way…" He muttered to himself as he rubbed his temples. He was exhausted from the late night, early morning combo that he'd been pulling due to his insomnia the last few weeks. He was not one to take any medication for it and he wouldn't ask for it anyway. He grumbled slightly and left his house silently, leaving earlier than necessary just in case. After all, he knew this city often held the unexpected delay.

Meanwhile, Calleigh was also preparing, getting ready for the trial, she had to testify based on the evidence for what seemed like the millionth time in her lifetime as a criminologist. It was possible that it was, in all actuality, close to that number at the moment. She wasn't able to count the times but she figured that the court dates were too numerous to count in any measurable number. Or if she had enough time to actually start counting it. She was too much on her hands to have enough time to count random cases that were based on her own evidence, her own analysis. The bullets were identical and it all pointed to the man that was now in custody and headed to the courthouse as she was. She allowed herself to primp her hair up again and spray it with some hairspray and head out of the door, to her car. She left early, as she always did. She believed in being earlier then she was expected, it was her nature. Most people expected her to be the opposite, more lax- more 'southern' as her still present soft accent that revealed her true origin. She allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips and she drove out of her driveway. Headed out of the area at a normal speed, she always obeyed the speed limit as much as possible, even when on a case. She was a perfectionist in such a way. She always had been.

The court room was silent, it was ordered to be so. No press was allowed within the hallowed ground, the press would ruin the concentration of the witnesses and the jury. It would skew the justice and the evidence would be moot. The witnesses had been prepped and subpoenaed to appear here and were such. All prepared mentally and physically for the task at hand. Each of them would be called in turn and the evidence would favor the truth. They hoped so, anyway.

Each question seemed to be answered in turn, a few seconds of thought for ones that were uncertain but other than that it was swift as a game of checkers. But forensics were science, much more like chess- intellectual and exact. The witness that was now on the stage, or rather stand, knew that all too well. Perhaps because he was once in that life- that eerily familiar feeling of the 'end' coming nigh brushed his thoughts once again- he recounted as he testified- and the feeling made him check himself for the tale-tale signs of injury. "I've been shot before and I've shot a gun before so I know that sound quite well. Instinct kicked in once I found out that my own home was not the target." He repeated to the jury "I ran outside to see what had been the intended target and to offer assistance if needed." He said, concluding his answer to the question asked him.

"After 'rushing outside', Mr. Delco, what was the first thing you did…" The attorney questioned, pacing slightly in front of the stand.

"I checked the area and saw my neighbor on the ground after which I ran over and checked him for vital signs, only to see that the wound was right where the heart would be and that he'd lost a lot of blood. It would have been moot to attempt to revive him so I called the Crime Lab instead, knowing that I still had that number on speed dial." Eric replied, fingering his pocket that normally kept his phone but was empty due to the regulation to keep it out of the court room, lest the ringing disturb the court.

"And did you see any spent casings?" The attorney quipped, the movement ceasing to look at Eric in the eye, to judge his truthfulness.

"It was midnight; all I saw was the glint of blood because of the street-lamp. Metal was not visible in such light on first glance." Eric answered, looking right back in those eyes that stared him down "and if there was any to be found, Calleigh would have found them in their original location because I do not tamper with evidence." He said, answering an unasked question about something in the past that didn't need unburying, both literally and figuratively. He sighed as the answer came unrequested "Nor would I ever."

"I did not ask anything to that effect. If you have a guilty conscious that is your own whim, not mine…" The consol replied smugly, returning to his pacing. "I have no further questions…"

Eric was dismissed, followed by a few more neighbors and close proximity witnesses, each asked similar questions to see if their stories matched or pointed directly at the individual seated in the defense's stand. He himself also was called, but only one or two questions of any true relevance were answered. Calleigh was the last called.

"Alright, so as I said, I was called on the scene by Eric Delko- indirectly. He called Horatio who then called me to go down there and collect ballistics and casings, if any, that I could find." Calleigh said, her legs crossing slightly in the chair and revealing a long skirt that nearly reached her ankles. "I photographed all the visible evidence, which given the lighting was little other than the glint of metallic objects, the body, and the blood. If it were brighter I would have had a better idea of where things were but I was not hindered by any means." She said strongly, watching the consoler pace again, making her follow him with her eyes.

"So the lack of light, or street-lamp light was not enough to damage any process of gathering evidence…"

"Correct…" Calleigh answered, her eyes holding truth and the green-gray shifting again because of the angle of light. She was infamous for those eyes but that wasn't why she was here. Or rather it was what those eyes saw, the bullets and their unique striations, that led her to this position so many times thus far. She always seemed to be the one trusted the one that never had her loyalty or honor questioned. Perhaps it was because the question was never needed, never warranted. Everyone else- Eric, Ryan, even Horatio himself a time or two- had been questioned on their integrity and honesty but never Calleigh. It seemed that the accent did more than identify her; it made her more believable- more 'honest' knowing that she was never ashamed, never closed about who she was. Or perhaps because she'd proven herself so many times that no one dared to question how she came to get to where she was. She was a rare flower, she knew that many times over. But she wasn't sure now if she wanted to be rare.

"Alright, that's all the questions I have. You are dismissed." The attorney said, allowing Calleigh off the uncomfortable chair that seemed to face everyone. Not that she feared public anything, she faced them every day.

After the jury was released to deliberate, Calleigh and Eric stayed behind. Eric frowned slightly "Sometimes I wish the life didn't haunt me…" He said, the rare expression gracing his face more so than before.

"It doesn't have to…" Calleigh said simply, walking closer to him "you don't have to fear everything… You have us…"

"Well, that's the thing. Every night I lie awake with thoughts of someone coming after you, and when I finally fall asleep I'm awoken by nightmares of death. It's not something that I consciously desire but the fear is there. Sometimes I wish for one night I don't have to worry." Eric said, immediately looking away in regret. "One night… Then I'd be content…"

"Hm? Is that a question to me or a prayer?" Calleigh said cheekily, brushing his shoulder with the tips of her knuckles. "Or both"

"A question. How about after this guy gets his justice we watch some movies and eat dinner and just… Be." Eric asked, his hand going to his shoulder in a protective motion "besides, you know I pray differently than the 'direct' approach…" He said, smirking at the southern belle.

"I know that quite well. Your… Religion… Has come up in conversation before." Calleigh quipped back, her hand going to her chin. "And movies sound… Nice…"

Secondary A/N: And that's how it begins… Now to write out the date. Not that I'm good with dates. I may just time skip at random intervals. I have no idea what to right for that.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: As promised, I'm back baby. Sorry to keep you all waiting but I've been trying to get in shape for a fairly quick change in jobs. I can't give much details but I will tell you I will be gone for awhile. Please have patience with me.

Warnings: Violence, cliffhangers, fluff, OOC, and of course a bit of time-skip may be implemented.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the electricity to power my comp so please don't sue me…

Chapter 6: Mi Alma Canta Esta Noche (My Soul Sings This Night)

Eric inhaled swiftly as he flitted around the small dining area, trying to get everything ready. Of course he'd been here before, with her. But this was his chance, his dream. To spend one _perfect_ night with her, with Calleigh, without all the interruptions. His own phone was on silent on his charger in his room, locked away where even if he wanted it to be it would not be a deterrent to his night. He felt his chest tighten as his eyes caught a glance at the clock from a distance, a shifting motion that seemed to mirror- nearly perfectly- his growing sense of exhilaration and anxiety. He moved into the kitchen and stirred the contents of a pot, trying to make something 'different' for supper tonight was challenging, knowing that he'd not actually 'cooked' for awhile excluding with helping his family around the Holidays. The number of 'guests' seemed to grow each year but that was their way, everyone that was family came and sometimes coworkers or girlfriends were called such. Calleigh met a good deal of his family that way, in a Holiday gathering of some form or another, which he couldn't remember but he did remember her meeting his mother. The two hit it off as well as any two women that 'loved' him could. He sighed at this thought, did Calleigh ever really _love_ him or was he a means to an end? Or was he ever even that? It was hard to tell, she held herself to such high standards of masking her emotions that he doubted seriously that even Horatio knew the woman's opinion on Eric himself. Of course if the man _did_ know he hadn't divulged his knowledge and Eric had never known the man to deliberately hide something if it wasn't a matter of the team's very lives being at stake and even then he only did what he had to do. He respected Horatio for this, even now that the 'split' from the team was made permanent. Or at least until things felt right again. He wrapped his fingers around a tall candle and sighed, placing it within the candelabra on the table before including another for 'romantic' affect. Who said a man couldn't have an eye for esthetics? If anyone would say such a thing one look at the perfectly arranged places directly across from each other on his small-ish dining room table would prove their argument a lie. He smirked as he smelled the scent of roasting garlic mixing delicately with the other spices. Garlic, he gathered, was always best when fresh roasted in the dish. He dashed to the kitchen and gave the pot another stir before looking within, a soup-like liquid within bubbled to the surface as it reached boiling temperature. He turned the dial down a bit before a knock at the door brought him out of his bliss.

Calleigh knocked softly at the door, looking at the lighted window to its right to see the man that had invited her coming towards the door and opening it to allow her to enter. The distinguishing scent of roasted garlic was the first to reach her, followed by the scent of a match being burnt as the man turned to light the candles on the table. "Sorry about being early, I figured you could use my help…"

"No, I don't mind. It's nearly done, just needs to simmer a few minutes…" Eric answered, motioning for her to sit at the table while he got things finished "you are my guest, Calleigh, you don't need to help. Just relax and I'll be done shortly…" He almost sang his last sentence, his heart's glee bubbling into his speech. He took his leave into the kitchen, getting two bowls from the cupboard and getting a ladle to serve with. Soup wasn't 'romantic' but it was 'homey' and right now it was what he could cook, given the short prep time he actually had. He brought out the bowls and placed one in front of Calleigh first.

"Wow, it looks good…" Calleigh said as she noticed all the fresh-cut vegetables that made themselves known to her ever observant green eyes. The fire of the candle seemed to bring the emerald even more to the attention of Eric, who took notice of the matching top and black slacks. She took a spoon and politely dipped it into the soup before Eric himself took his own utensil upon sitting down and nodding his appreciation for the complement. A soft motion dipped the liquid into the parted lips which seemed to smile upon the taste hitting the tongue within. "And looks weren't deceiving…" She said swiftly as she smirked somewhat in between passing glances at Eric, who seemed to be stealing glances from across the table at her. Was he trying to be romantic? She gathered that he wanted to make up for the past somehow but that was a long time coming. Or at least in her mind it was. Sure, they were friends and she preferred it that way, less heartbreak in the end, but something told her that even now that her once partner didn't agree. But this was _nice_. Not '_romantic_' in the way she'd use the word, per say, but it was nice to get away from it all, if only for one night. How did Eric know that this kind gesture would be what she needed? Perhaps he wanted what she did, a night away from the shots and the bullets and the blood… At this thought she sighed softly, looking at the bemused Eric across from her who seemed to suddenly take interest in the bowl in front of him. This was so much different than what she came to expect from the Cuban man that she'd once called 'lover'.

A/N: I couldn't decide whether to 'rush' the night into one chapter or drag it out into a few but I decided on a combination. I will cut it in half, the first above with dinner and the second next chapter with the movies. I am thinking some form of Romantic Comedy but they won't, necessarily, be paying attention to the _movie_ if you get my drift… Anywho, I might not be adding chapter 7 for some time, I am going away soon and I may not have time between now and when I'm leaving. I'll be back but not for awhile (at least three months or so).


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So I got more inspiration for Dame una Noche after 10 months away. I know how I _want_ to end it but I will give you, my readers, a choice at the end of the _second to last_ chapter, which should be another few away but if I don't get inspiration I could dig that out and plan the two alternative endings… One is pretty much what I planned from the beginning with the 'consequence' thing but the other is a 'softer' ending. You'll understand as it comes.

Warnings: Just a bit of fluffiness is all.

Disclaimer: If I owned it I would be a genius or something.

Chapter Seven: Todo de todo (All of everything)

Eric stuck a bag of popcorn in the microwave and pressed a few buttons as Calleigh sat in the living room in front of his television. In spite of being a 'bachelor' he was glad he never got rid of his two-person loveseat for this night would probably have plenty use for it. He placed the DVD he'd chosen into the player as the sound of popcorn popping filled the kitchen, the scent of butter following it in balance. He grabbed a bowl from his pantry and the microwave beeped its message of being finished. He opened it and grabbed out the popcorn and poured it into the bowl. Setting it upon the table he grabbed the remote and sat next to Calleigh with a grin as wide as his face could bear as she nodded her approval of his choice. He pressed play as the main menu came up and displayed the title. "Alright, let's watch this movie." He felt relaxed, if only slightly, knowing she was there next to him. The movie started shortly and he felt himself actually paying attention to the woman on the couch instead of one of his movies. Of course it wasn't one of _his _favorites but it was one of hers.

Calleigh secretly was surprised that Eric even had this movie much less actually was willing to watch it. Or rather, as she noticed his eyes slowly drift to her own face, allowing her to watch it with him. Was that his true desire, for her to be _with him_? As she thought of this, the movie held less meaning as its true self and more as a mechanism for Eric. _"So that's what he wanted_" She allowed herself to think for a moment before a silent look away reminded her that it hurt him to think what _could _happen. Love, or lust, wasn't a luxury that he could seem to allow himself anymore. She knew the story of the movie. Or any 'romantic' story for that matter. Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl falls for boy and they're happy together. But _life_ was far more complicated than that. Because of life's complications he was afraid of showing his true intent and desires. She didn't seem to know what to say at the moment so she decided not to speak for now.

Eric noticed her silence and fell back further into the couch. Of course it couldn't be just a simple night. No, it had to be complicated by both of their past feelings for one another and the fact that he had to let her go. It was for her own good after all, he'd convinced himself. But it didn't _feel_ right anymore. He wanted _more_ than that. But he just couldn't have it anymore, could he? Or was it worth the risk to ask for more? For her to be back with him, for her to _love_ him? Was that what he wanted or was it more like for it to not have any real consequence? Real life didn't work like that and he knew it well enough but that didn't mean he couldn't want it to.

Calleigh wanted something too, she wanted freedom. Freedom from losing her heart, her love. Somehow things always turned out wrong for her, so very strangely wrong. Why couldn't things turn out to be right like her favorite movies? Why did life become so… Complicated? When did the fine line between pleasure and pain become such a gulf? Black, white, it all bled together in a blinding mix where the distinction didn't exist at all anymore. The definition was so clear in movies and shows, even plays and other such things. Life wasn't like that, even in its most simplistic form nothing ever broke down to such measurable means. She sighed as the main boy and the main girl kissed in the movie and glared slightly as the falsities seem to unravel again. Why'd she ever like this kind of thing? Perhaps it was a dream, something for her to fall willingly into and return to the bitter truth after only a short two or three hours, as if waking into the real world again. It felt so hollow, so empty. And yet she felt satisfied by her company, Eric. "I never realized how cheesy romantic comedies are." She sighed as he nodded quietly, not really answering either way. "I wonder why I never noticed…"

"Probably because you had a good date or something." Eric said plaintively. "I don't know…"

"I think it was because I wanted it to be truth." Calleigh said sadly as she stared at the movie with a glare crossing her eyes for a mere second before grinning at Eric "I don't think I ever had that good of a date to make me like romantic comedies. Just the desire for it to be real life…"

"I would have thought you would…" Eric said as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow "you're so beautiful and smart. Why would you not have?"

"Not all men are confident enough to sit through one. Or desperate enough as it may be." Calleigh said as she saw him blush out of the corner of her eye "not that I think you're desperate. You're far from that."

"No, I'm just stupid in love…" Eric muttered darkly under his breath, regret filling his words.

"You're not stupid Eric. You've never been stupid." Calleigh said softly as she looked at him in earnest, her emerald eyes meeting his dark-chocolate ones. "You sometimes surprise me."

"I… Surprise _you_? You always surprise me all the time with all your ballistics knowledge. I felt so lost when I listened to you the first time." Eric admitted slightly and smirked. "Sometimes I still feel lost in your eyes."

"I… I never knew…" Calleigh said and it was her turn to blush lightly but she cleared her throat "not that Horatio ever really let us work together much, side by side you know.."

"I think H always knew. Even before I did he could tell. I guess that's his specialty, reading people." Eric said as his smirk widened slightly.

"One of his many." Calleigh agreed at which they both laughed at their common assessment, ignoring the movie completely at this point, it's unchecked credits rolling up the black screen as Eric would normally turn it off at that point. "Sometimes he surprises me with that ability. No matter how much someone tries to lie to him he can always tell." She grinned softly as she laughed again.

"Very good point." Eric said lightly "No one's ever successfully lied to him and gotten away with it for long. Not even us." She laughed at that comment and nodded in silent agreement. "I think when I left it shocked even him." She frowned darkly as an unchecked silence descended upon them as the movie automatically turned off at the end of the credits. "I shouldn't have brought that up, I'm sorry… I ruined our night."

"It's not ruined." Calleigh replied with a soft hug "there's nothing to be sorry for Eric." He smiled somewhat but still seemed upset about his mistake. "Look, it was something that you felt needed to be done. You were willing to sacrifice everything for our team's sake, I find that noble." He looked away as she said 'our team' and not 'my' as he had intended but she didn't seem to notice the slight idiosyncrasy. "I know that you intended to keep us all safe."

"I'm glad you realize that…" Eric said quickly, cutting the rest of his chaotic thoughts short. This is what he wanted most in the world, Calleigh to be his for one night without the consequences. But the consequences always seemed to haunt his actions, all of them. He could never tell her that, never admit the true nature of his desire. Perhaps that hurt him the most…

A/N: Yea, it's another short chapter. I'm having a hard time lengthening them. Like I said, there will be a few more chapters before the end but I'm not sure how much I can write at one time seeing as I am working again.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I suppose I will continue this with where I left off. I will be having at least four chapters total until the end, including this one.

Warnings: Fluff, romance- the stuff I'm horrible at writing.

Disclaimer: I said it before; I'll say it again a thousand times I'm sure: I don't own diddly.

Chapter Eight: Como que no Puedo Decerte (What I Can't Tell You)

Eric closed his eyes slightly, as if trying to see if this was all a dream, it wouldn't surprise him much if it were. Opening them again to see Calleigh looking at him with a raised eyebrow at which he answered "I thought I was dreaming."

"Then I would be too, wouldn't I?" Calleigh teased, settling into the couch a little more. "I wanted to be here, with you…" She stopped as he looked at her with interest "movies with a good friend make me relax."

The words 'good friend' wounded him gravely. He was right, after all, she could never _love_ him- how could she? He had pushed her away so many times; perhaps that's what she thought he wanted- to only be her friend. He opened his mouth but words could not come, so he just sat there looking at her. Finally something came out "if you say so…"

"You didn't let me finish, Eric." Calleigh said, as if she'd been looking for the right words all along. "I know why you invited me; you needed to remind me that I still mattered to you." She said, looking into his eyes as he grinned softly. "I wanted to show you that I still think about what we were." She moved towards him, leaning inwards "sometimes I think we could make it work out…"

"I have too many enemies that would target you…" Eric said with a soft sigh "they'd target anyone I loved."

"And you don't think I can handle myself?" Calleigh asked as if insulted, but she understood "I know how to handle anything that comes my way."

"I know, Calleigh, more than anyone. That doesn't prevent me from worrying about you." Eric confessed, looking away with nervousness _"so she does understand why. But there's more to it. I want her so bad it aches, keeps me awake. I can't ever tell her that, she'd just laugh."_

"Eric, you always keep everyone's best interests in mind. That's why Horatio and you get along so well, you're so alike." Calleigh said softly, touching the side of his face to turn him towards her "that's why our team is more than that. It's friends, family…" His eyes looked away again, even though his head stayed still "and lovers." This piece was whispered as she looked deep into his eyes, his soul itself played out in front of her _"God, I love his eyes, they sparkle when he looks at me. I can tell what he's thinking."_ Sure, he'd never really told her, but she did know. And now that she knew, she wondered why she'd never noticed. _"I dismissed all the signs of his affection as caring for a good friend. In so doing, I've wounded so many of his feelings." _It was her turn to look away as her thoughts took flight within her mind and guilt ate at her soul.

"Calleigh…" Eric said tentatively "there are so many past memories that keep coming up in our minds. No matter how hard we try we can't escape that." She looked towards him again, seeing a sorrow in his eyes "we can't deny how hurt I made you."

"Eric, I can't change how I feel any more you can change what you think." Calleigh said softly, trying to solve his guilt "I forgive you, how can you not forgive yourself?"

"Perhaps because that's the hardest person _to _forgive. I know what I've done and I have to atone for that." Eric said with a heavy heart "I don't ask for forgiveness, I don't deserve it."

"You are the kindest person I know, you have a good heart." Calleigh answered, hugging him softly around the shoulder. "That's why it's hard _not_ to care about you." His eyes brightened at this comment "we all do, but I think I feel it deeper than the others."

"Thanks Cal…" Eric said as he returned her hug, deeper than her own. She relaxed somewhat at this and let him embrace her. The feeling of comfort replaced the guilt and tension from before. He ignored the soft tingle of his finger-tips as he enjoyed the moment. They sat together, just relishing in one-another's company in silence. They didn't need to say any more. _"How I wish tonight could last forever, we could just do this every day and not worry about the others. But work always gets in the way." _He thought as he looked at his angel, who yawned softly at his glance.

"Sorry, I am just a little tired this evening." Calleigh admitted softly as she looked at the clock on his television, reading eleven-thirty. "No wonder, it's getting late."

"Mm. Maybe you can stay a little longer?" Eric said as she relaxed a bit at his bequest "you could stay here tonight."

"I can't, I haven't got clothes or a toothbrush." Calleigh made a pair of excuses with a look of guilt "and if I'm late Horatio will give me a heyday."

"True." Eric admitted, knowing the Lieutenant just as well as his once co-worker did. He frowned deeply as she moved to rise out of her chair, only to find her feet tingle in protest.

"How about I promise to call you as soon as I get home so you don't worry?" Calleigh said as she held onto the chair for support as the numbness slowly abated from the soles of her feet. "Then you and I can maybe arrange another movie night?"

"That sounds really good, you know. Better than I can really describe…" He whispered the last part, his chocolate eyes melting into joyous pools under her gaze.

"Then it's a date. Sort of" Calleigh grinned and kissed him on his cheek while heaving her purse onto her shoulder. "I will talk to you again soon, I promise…" At this she opened the door to the house and waved inward at him "take care…"

"Be careful" Eric said after a moment's thought, not able to tell her 'goodbye' or anything of like content for he was still processing her promise. He would hold hope that she would be good on her word close to his heart. His hand waved back as she exited his home, both were smiling as if their past had never been brought up and they had been given a new chance. As the door closed he mused about all the things he'd wanted. "All I asked for seemed to feel so right. Who am I to desire more out of it? I am just human, I need what I need."

A/N: With that Chapter Eight is done. A bit shorter than I planned but still covered a good deal of what I needed to write. Also, the next chapter will actually be a two-parter (I think) so that will be fun to plot out. Cliffhangers will abound, sorry for that in advance…


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'd like to take a moment to thank all the nice reviewers I've had thus far. I really appreciate your input. And the idea of this fic was 'one night' for a reason. However I have made a bit of a split second decision about this. Actually, two. One, there will be the ending I warned about. The plot bunnies are evil. Second, the ending I warned about will be a bit different. Not specific, sorry. Don't want to spoil you all.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, certain characters would have never died and certain others would have that probably should have by now. (Vague, aren't I?)

Warnings: Paranoia, chasing, and general reckless driving.

Chapter Nine: Corriendo (Running)

As Calleigh left she fiddled nervously with her keys, the dark night giving her little but shape to go by. Even the street lamp seemed to do little to assist her. She finally found her car key among the jumbled mess, opening the door to which it was assigned. She wondered to herself what half the keys in the collection even belonged to. Most of the answers had the word 'work' beforehand. She grumbled at that distain-filled word. As if reality itself was avoidable.

The heavy feeling of guilt mixed with the omnipresent feeling of dread at the idea of returning there without him beside her. That is what she feared most, being without him. But she wasn't _truly_ without him in the sense that she could never speak to him _again_. But he was nearly as unreachable since he had ostracized himself from his own team.

She felt her hands tense around the keys as she started the engine, the soft grumbling-purr of the vehicle reminding her that she did have to drive home. Not like it was that far, really, but at night driving was a whole other beast. There were certain places in Miami one did not want to be alone, even during the day, and the night made those places more numerous. She checked her rear-view mirror before backing away, seeing the light from inside the windows as she pulled away. The easiest way back towards her home was the central roads, well-lit enough that she could see her way.

As neighborhood became road and road became street, her guilt became nervous-tiredness. What would Horatio say if he were to find out about her escapade? What was there _to_ be said? After all, it's not like the man's opinion would change what happened tonight. She could care less what Wolfe said; she couldn't really blame him for saying _something_ if the subject were brought up; but the contents would be falling upon deaf ears.

They all deserved what she had just had, wanted it, a single day to be _free_ of it all. To be able to escape the job, the pressure, the instinct of it all. Wouldn't it be running from their own inner nature to do so? The idea of inner nature was sometimes a complicated concept. With the team it was sometimes even more confusing, seeing as they normally hid themselves among their work so much that their feelings became moot.

The streets seemed almost as a ghost town this time of night, adding a creepy element. City lights twinkled in and out of existence as she passed by. A changing stop-light gained her attention just ahead. Her vehicle slowed to a stop at the intersection, her natural instinct checking the corners around her. Another vehicle was stopped at the stoplight to her right and as the respective green was given, it went on its way. She let her instinct rest for awhile as she herself drove away from the stop. Perhaps she was just being overly sensitive.

She took a deep breath to remove herself from the natural cop's mind-set. It wasn't as if she wanted to be free entirely from it, just temporarily- enough to get her home safely. In her rear-view she could see the reflection of the city lights but two central lights gained her attention. She saw headlights behind her, all the instinct in the world came back in one flash. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel but continued forward. She wasn't going to take an alternate route to challenge any followers, even if she were afraid of them. Showing fear did more harm than good, she knew this well. Each turn seemed to find her still with the headlights in her rear-view.

Eventually she began to question if she was indeed being trailed, and not just that they happened to be going in the same direction. It had been the same vehicle the whole time, she realized. The bouncing questions in her mind didn't reflect in her face, which was more tired than anything. She normally had all the answers, it seemed so natural. Now it seemed like she was running from her own inner nature. She wanted so badly to understand it all, especially with Eric, but couldn't grasp it.

One set of headlights had become two as she had been analyzing things. Was this an unlucky day after everything she'd been through? Didn't she deserve a single day without being threatened in one way or another? She was a cop, she accepted it as part of the job, but she wanted just one day without _having_ to. Was that what Eric had wanted as well, one day without having to worry so much? Her eyes reflected her own recollection of the evening. He always had a way of reading her but she couldn't seem to see what he wanted most.

The more she drove, the closer her followers seemed to get to her. No matter how many turns she took on her journey home they seemed to stay on her trail. Even after she had begun to speed up a bit in her inner-reflective moment. She felt as if she was running from time itself more than her followers, after all, it was nearly midnight. She was trying to stay awake in spite of her own early-bird mentality.

A/N: Shorter than the other chapters, sorry. Leading up to the finale soon, I promise.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Chapter Ten finishes Calleigh's piece from last chapter. I understand you all expected something out of this that I have not written but I may (more than likely will) make the alternate ending the only one included. I wanted to do a darker ending but I can't seem to get it to make sense. I will include it, in a way…

Warnings: Violence

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Chapter Ten: Sombras (Shadows)

Calleigh had nearly surrendered to her own fate of running from everything. But a stubborn half of herself, almost brutishly so, wanted to make things work out. After all, didn't she _deserve _it? Why would she want to give up what she knew she wanted? Perhaps she didn't know what she truly needed. Things were too complicated, too confusing, to ever be that pure. A streetlight had gone out on her left hand side, the darkness adding to her frustration. She grunted as she saw passing headlights coming by her passenger side. She raised an eyebrow, why were there so many people this time of night?

It was midnight after all; the blinking orange-red of her car's internal clock told her that it was close enough to that hour. She was half tempted to call Eric just to make sure he wasn't worried, but some piece of her mind told her that he wasn't. After all, they were just friends, weren't they? The question wasn't as cut and dry as it seemed and their lives certainly were not just black and white.

The more she thought about it, the more 'in the gray' it seemed, getting itself truly stuck in the center. "He can't love me that way, can he?" She asked the steering wheel as she came to another stoplight, the headlights from before now gone from her view. She sighed softly at their absence, relieved that they had not followed her.

The paranoid feelings of before seemed to melt into exhaustion, their original root no doubt. She felt herself relax, if only just. The stoplight changed just as soon as the resolution became real in her mind, the fleeting feelings becoming as leaves in the wind. Her car seemed almost on autopilot as the tiredness took its toll, shadows placing themselves under her emerald eyes. She was not exactly unaccustomed to staying up to this hour, but doing so after rising early left her completely drained, devoid of any other feeling.

The feeling of being followed did not repeat itself, she felt perfectly safe. But safety is often an illusion, a cushion we give ourselves when nothing else can comfort us. The idea of security was one that passed the lips of the ill-informed masses that didn't have to neither carry a gun nor face down criminals as she had to- day in and day out. Cases seemed to bleed into one another, the evidence had to be processed and the perpetrators were caught. At the end of the day it felt monotonous at the worst of times.

Eric was the one shining beacon in the world, the change of pace that she needed, he got her out of her 'evidence only' attitude. Without him, she'd have been a good forensic scientist but not a great one- perhaps. She had accepted that each of her co-workers had influenced her in one way or another, giving pieces of themselves to her. Either by mentoring her, like Horatio; or caring for her safety, like Alexx and Eric.

"_He does care about me in some way."_ She thought, resolute in finding out what that some way was. She'd ask him, but not directly. She knew well that Eric would either get defensive or become defiant, neither of which she wanted or needed from him. She cared too deeply for her friends to see them hurt, even by their own actions. _"I care about him too much to see him get hurt…_" She thought; the shadows of self-doubt set in her mind. A yawn interrupted her introspection, forcing her attention back to the task at hand, driving. She knew her home was only a few more miles, and she needed to focus.

As much as she wanted to rid her mind of the distracting thoughts about Eric, tonight left too many questions unanswered. The majority of which began with the word 'why'. The more she tried to answer these, the more they eluded her, like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. He had dated her once, told a psychiatrist that he loved her- but never told Calleigh herself. That was the major source of her self-questioning. If he did love her, why could he not say it- out right? And if he did not, then why lie?

A headache worth of questions was not what she needed tonight. After all, she had more important things to worry about. She had a promise to keep, and that included getting home safely. She noticed a red light on her dash, a warning light. She would normally worry about these kinds of things, but she was already exhausted. She figured she could get it looked at in the morning. After all, it was only a few more miles. Luck was not, exactly, her friend- she knew this well- but it was also not her enemy either. She frankly didn't believe in luck or chance, all things happened for a reason. She smelled the distinct scent of smoke and saw it was coming from the hood of her car. She turned into a nearby parking lot and turned off the car. "Damn…" She said as she hit the steering wheel with her hand, a moment of frustration.

She popped the hood but knew little about cars, other than the basics. The Miami weather was not good on vehicles, the constant humidity liked to settle in the engine compartment and cause trouble. Muttering several curses under her breath, she took out her cell phone and dialed the first number on the contact list. "Hey, Horatio, it's Calleigh…"

A/N: Not what I originally planned for this chapter, I feel like I'm going a bit off track here. There is a reason she called Horatio instead of Eric. Next chapter focuses on Eric. Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: This continues with Eric's own thoughts and ideas. Goes from the same idea as the first chapter, in fact, it uses a lot of the phrases from that chapter. It ends up going in a complete circle.

Disclaimer: I own diddly.

Warnings: Big huge plot bunny of doom. Oh and cliffhanger.

Chapter Eleven: Resolver (To Resolve)

Eric had been staring at the door that had been her exit for what had felt like an eternity. Seconds felt as if years, minutes as millennia as he took in a shaky breath at the glimpse of his clock. Twelve, it blinked at him, a half hour had passed and still no word. With as light of traffic there was at Midnight, she should be home by now, right?

He couldn't dare to think about it, the what-ifs. He couldn't imagine what those would even be, not now. Perhaps she had already gotten home and just fell asleep, not remembering her promise to him. Yea, that seemed logical; in fact she looked like she was half asleep when she left. He took another breath and fiddled with the pocket that had held his cell phone, only to find it irritatingly mute.

Just a buzz, a twinkle, a ring and his unease would be abated, placated. A grumble of dissatisfaction came as the object still didn't sound, at which he rested his hand on the armrest of the chair. His heart hammered away in his chest as if a hummingbird in mid-flight, fast and uncontrolled. He had to clear his mind of all the things that caused him to doubt Calleigh- _his_ Calleigh- was safe. At this thought he wondered why he had wished for one night and only one.

He didn't truly _want _one night, singular and lone, but _every_ night. He grunted at his own nature at realizing his selfishness, he didn't deserve to have her- he reminded himself that every day since he'd left- but he _wanted _her. No, wanted wasn't the word- not after tonight. He realized with little forethought or reflection that he _needed_ her. He needed her to be his Angel, his shelter. He needed her forever; he couldn't ever _not _love her.

Loving her, however, meant that he put her at risk, so selfish he was to even thinking that he deserved another chance. But as much as it tore him to give her up, he had to. Not just for her, but for himself. For what would he do without her? How would he even _know_ what to do at all? The thought of losing her made his heart and soul ache but he needed to face reality.

Illusion was not something he could surrender himself to, he couldn't afford to fall into that rabbit-hole. But he wanted, nay- _needed_, to keep some grander façade in the corners of his mind, if only for the sake of reminding himself what he _could not_ have. No matter how much he had admitted that she was both his strength and his bane; his Angel and his Succubus; his heaven and his hell; his savior and his damnation he could not fathom being without both aspects of who she was but could also never _truly_ have her as his own. It tore at him just to think about it that way.

There were too many walls, too many barriers, and too many enemies for them to ever really have what they wanted. But the question remained in his mind's eye- did she want what he wanted? He knew he could never imagine his life without Calleigh in it, but did she think the same about him? Did she lie awake at night wanting him there beside her like he did? Or was he just a friend, a colleague?

After all, didn't she also treat Horatio with the same respect and dignity that she had treated him? In the basal parts of his mind he saw no difference between the two behaviors. And so, he could never think she loved him that way. But he _loved_ her, with every fiber of his being, every piece of his essence, and every corner of his soul. In every way imaginable, he needed her, she completed him. But he could never, in a million lifetimes, fathom her thinking the same. Resolving himself to the sad truth left him empty, alone. He couldn't face the gravity of it all right now, but he _had_ to at some point.

He glowered at the clock; the offending glow reading only a few minutes had passed since his reflection had begun. He could easily spend the rest of eternity thinking about her, wanting her, _needing_ her. He took another breath and put his hand to the pocket that held his cell phone again. This time the fingers slipped into the awaiting pocket and pulled out the device.

His hand shook as he mentally steeled himself, staring down at the object as if it was foreign to him. He had to think of the right words to say, after all- he knew what _he_ felt but was not so sure about what Calleigh felt. He had to ask her, in some form or another, in order to get his true answer. To save him from the constant wondering and hoping about a fate that he never really deserved.

A few seconds seemed as eons as he tried to bring his head around what his heart was pounding in his ear. He loved her, end of story, but truly- it was but the beginning. He took another deep breath and released it then spoke to himself in a practiced tone "Calleigh, I need to tell you…" His voice broke as he got to the last word, it sounded too rehearsed and professional. "No, that's not right." Shaking his head in defeat he considered, if only for a brief moment, throwing the phone across the room. Instead he gripped it tighter, as if it was the only lifeline he had. At the tightening of his grasp, the phone began to vibrate in-between his fingers then his ringtone began to sound. He loosened his fingers enough to see the number. Recognizing it, he answered the call with a simple press of the button. "Yea, it's Eric…"

Secondary A/N: And there's the cliffhanger. Shorter than the other chapters because of the lack of dialog (again). But it gives a lot of reflection onto the original credo of this fic. Also, I rather like the idea of him trying to call her, it sets the mood for the next chapter… And it's going to be fun (relatively) to write.


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